


Rescue

by iconis



Category: NSYNC, Popslash
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-22
Updated: 2007-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-15 10:55:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/160130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iconis/pseuds/iconis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chris has a surprise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rescue

It's been a long day, too fucking long. Lance slams the car door shut a little too hard and sighs, presses the button and hears the car lock up behind him. The sun is just setting, and the world is warm, layered with orange and pink; Lance looks at the house, and smiles for what feels like the first time in hours.

The house is quiet and empty, and there is no answer when he throws out a greeting after closing the front door. Lance puts the keys down on the table and drops his bag on the floor and kicks off his shoes, not bothering to put anything away. He walks into the kitchen, glances at the mess at the table and the sink and shakes his head, smiling a little to himself - it's fairly obvious that Justin has been over. Lance picks up a couple of plates and the carton of milk that has warmed up before he gives up - sending this month's bill for the maid service to Justin is going to be much more fun.

Lance climbs upstairs, goes in the bedroom. The room still smells stale, like sex and them, and Lance grins, wonders if they might have to repaint the bedroom if they ever sell the house to cover up the smell. And the stains. Lance grins a bit wider and opens the window, lets in the smell of burning leaves and freshly cut grass.

Lance changes into his sweat pants and the closest, cleanest looking t-shirt, and heads for the office downstairs. He sits in his chair, and reaches for the mouse when he sees the sticky note attached to the screen, the note written in bright blue; "i swear i didnt do anything." Lance freezes, completely horrified for one moment - no, no, not again, not fucking again, this is the third time in six months, and shifts the mouse so carefully to deactivate the screen saver, and doesn't know whether to scream or laugh, when he sees his new wallpaper featuring a naked JC and a hat.

Lance thinks for a moment and decides against changing the picture; Lance figures it'll be punishment enough to not change it in a couple of months. He checks his e-mail and shoots off a couple of replies before turning the monitor off, if only after looking at the picture of a moment longer.

Lance goes in the kitchen and fixes himself an espresso. He snags the newspapers from the table and goes in the living room, pausing in the hall to grab his laptop from his bag. He settles down on the couch and flips the tv on while the laptop fires up, checking the news channels before settling on Animal Planet as background noise. Lance takes his laptop in his lap, sips at his espresso and checks his e-mail, hissing at the mundane things people are asking him about.

After a while, Lance hears a car drive up to the house and the engine shutting down and Lance smiles, hears the front door open.

"Hey!"

The answer from the hall is rushed. "Hi!"

Lance hears Chris's quick footsteps from the stairs, the bedroom door slam shut and he frowns, closes his laptop. "Chris?"

There is no answer and the hairs on the Lance's arms raise up. Chris and silence is never a good mix. Lance puts the computer away and gets up from the couch, flips on the lights, moves toward the stairs.

"Chris?"

Lance hears a soft yelp and a curse from upstairs and freezes for a moment because he knows that tone and he knows it too well. Lance takes the stairs two at a time.

"Chris, what the hell-" Lance tries to open the door, but can't turn the doorknob. "Seriously? Did you lock the door?"

"I'll be right out!" Chris' voice is high and light and altogether wrong.

"Jesus, Chr- lemme in. No, really, let me in. Now, Chris." Lance is getting panicked and hates himself for it because it's only a new tattoo, or a piercing in a weird place, maybe a new horrifying hair cut or another new motorcycle-

Chris opens the door, bites his lip, glares at Lance. "If you make me take it back, I'll divorce your ass."

Lance looks at Chris carefully. At least it wasn't any type of disfiguring plastic surgery, Lance thinks, sighing.

"Take what back, Chris? Open the door and stop being a freak."

Chris snorts. "I don't do miracles. You promise?"

"Is it dangerous?"

"What?"

"Is the thing dangerous?"

"No! ...Not really."

Lance groans. "It's a new motorbike, isn't it?"

"What?" Chris frowns.

"You bought a new motorcycle? That why you're running around locking doors?"

Chris huffs. "No, d'oh, hello? What the hell would I run to br-" Chris' eyes widen and he clamps his mouth shut so fast his teeth click together in a way that sounds really painful.

"...You brought it in - seriously, let me in now." Lance pushes at the door, at Chris, and finally he yields and lets Lance in.

"Don't shout, okay? It'll just scare him."

Lance is about ask to who and what Chris is talking about when he sees the puppy on the bed staring at him. It's not really a puppy, but a small dog: a scruffy and strange looking thing with dark brown fur and almost blue eyes.

"Uh."

"Um. Meet Nemo."

Lance stares at the dog, and the dog stares back before jumping off the bed, approaching him slowly, sniffing the air.

"...Nemo."

"Uh. Yeah. It's a lame name but he's old enough to know it and - yeah."

Lance kneels carefully and Nemo flinches but doesn't run away.

Lance looks at Chris. "He's weird."

Chris shrugs. "You and me are, too."

Lance hums under his breath, and Nemo comes closer, sniffing at Lance's fingers. "Kinda cute, too."

Chris hacks out a victorious laugh. "I knew you'd love him."

"I haven't said a word about love yet."

Nemo licks at Lance's fingers, apparently deciding he's worth trusting. He climbs up, lifting his front paws onto Lance's knee and sniffs at his face and ears curiously. Lance squeezes his eyes shut and laughs quietly.

"Where did he come from?"

"The shelter."

Lance makes an approving noise, and carefully scratches Nemo's back, getting rewarded with a happy bark right in his ear. "God, he's louder than you are. Why the hell couldn't you ask me before you got him? Or tell me at least?"

Chris shrugs, sits on the edge of the bed. "I wasn't sure how you'd react after... y'know."

"Chris. That was over a year ago. I thought you didn't want another dog."

Chris chuckles. "Dude, I'd rather live without you than a dog. FYI."

"I love you too, Kirkpatrick." Lance pets Nemo and stands up, goes and sits next to Chris. "Nemo's a really lame name."

Chris cackles loudly, and Nemo stares at him, looking like he isn't sure whether to check if Chris is alright or run away. "Man, I know. We can rename him, he won't know the difference if it's close enough. Reno?"

"God, even that's better. Which is kind of sad."

Chris grins. "I can't take him back."

Lance watches Nemo-Reno sniff around the room. "I wouldn't want you to. You are such a fucking freak, trying to hide a dog in here."

"Hey, I wasn't trying to hide him, I was just. Giving him. Time. Me time. To come up with a cover story."

Lance shakes his head. Nemo-Reno wanders out of the bedroom, and Lance looks at Chris. "So you get him a leash and food and toys, yet?

"...They're in the car." Chris smiles slowly and dips his head to kiss the corner of Lance's mouth. "I've gotten predictable in my old age. Fuck."

"Mhm. I can see your every move, Chris, you can't hide anything from me."

"And you're an ever bigger megalomaniac than before." Chris murmurs, tilts his head to kiss Lance's neck, tugs him a little closer and pulls them both down to lie down on the bed, slips a hand under Lance's shirt.

"And you're just a maniac, so we're even."

"Hardy-har-har. That is so old, dude." Chris kisses Lance slowly, nipping at his lips.

"Not as old-"

"-as me, yeah yeah. God, I have nothing to be scared of on the predictability scale, you win by fucking default." Chris nuzzles Lance's jaw, slips a leg between Lance's thighs. A sudden dip on the bed startles Lance, and he turns to look. Nemo-Reno is sitting next to them, staring at them with a slight tilt of his head.

Lance stares back, sighs when Chris nuzzles his neck and rubs at his stomach.

"He's staring, Chris."

Chris lifts his head, grins. "Huh. Good taste, I'd look at us, too."

Lance keeps looking at the dog. "Dude, it's. He's. I don't know. Nemo, Reno, get off the bed. Off!"

Nemo-Reno sits up and tilts his head more.

Chris looks at Lance, then the dog. "Off, boy!"

Reno launches himself at them, barking happily, licking Lance's cheek and playfully tugging on Chris's sleeve. Lance laughs, tries to turn his face away from Reno's attack.

"You couldn't have gotten a trained dog, Chris, seriously?"

"Shut up, you like them cute and rough around the edges anyway." Chris looks at Reno, and scratches him behind his ears, making the dog howl loudly and happily. Lance watches them, smiling, and nods to himself.


End file.
